Here is my 2 cents on reloading (for me).

My main rifle is a Polish Tantal, cliber 5.45x39Russian. There is little to no brass available for this weapon (at least I don’t see any, if at all any brass-cased ammo in this caliber at gun stores.) RIGHT NOW (prior to any SHTF or TEOTWAWKI situations) the ammo is available and cheap. So… I stock up as I can. Tins of 1,080rds. are (again) available for about $180-$190 + shipping. Pre-Obamascare (i.e. before they learned to exploit small children who had passed away in order to push/promote/exploit their anti-gun polcies, e.g. “Sandy Hook”) the ammo was $129.00/1,080rds. And one of the reasons I chose this weapons format.

My two main pistol calibers are 9mm and .45ACP. AS YET, today it is available, and you can still buy it in bulk, so… again, I stock up. I think acquiring ammo is the one thing ALL gun owners should be doing, as they can afford it, and as often as they can afford it. IMHO, you can never have enough ammo.

I also have a .22LR for plinking/small game hunting, and 2 different kinds of 12 gauge. One has a longer barrel, and is for hunting, one has an 18″ barrel and is for home defense. I bought tons of .22LR before the Obamascare, so I have several thousands rounds of that. I don’t plink, so I have plenty for hunting if the SHTF, etc.

My home defense rounds for the 12ga. are OO Buck and Slugs. I keep a 50-round bandoleer close by my home defense shotgun at all times. If the SHTF, what you have with or close to the gun is what you have. TODAY I can still buy bulk 00 Buck, my last check was around $99 (and up) for 250 rounds. So, instead of re-loading (today) I stock up.

I keep a minimum of 3 full boxes of 12ga. hunting shells (either 6 shot or 8 shot) for small game, etc. Again (today) I can stock up. So, I buy as I can.

All that said, it would be wise to at least watch some YouTube videos, or get the general idea of how to re-load your own stuff. IMHO, if TEOTWAWKI happens, there isn’t going to be any stores left to buy ammo, etc. If what a lot of folks predict actually happens, the masses will converge and loot everything on most every shelf, leaving nothing but trash and cigrarette butts.

That said, IMHO considering these things, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to buy a press, and the dies you need to produce your own ammo. If you use Mozilla Firefox, you can download an app that allows you to download any YouTube video, so when the Internet no longer exists in its current form, and you still have electricity and a computer, the vids can be used for training, etc.

First, you need to stire and be able to filter/purify water. Be it a hand backpacker water filter or some more complicated group system. You can’t live long without water. You can live longer with no ammo than you can live without water.

Then you are going to need food. You might need ammo to gain access to some food, whetehr you hunt it from the woods, or protect what you have from zombie/looter types.

Shelter, keeping out of the elements can prolong your survival. Last winter, in Michigan, I lived in the box of my truck for 74 days. With a twin-sized air mattress, several comforters, and a high-tech -15-degree sleeping bag, I was warm as toast every night, even when it hit -15 below zero. My truck has a topper, soI had a shelter system of some kind. But no heater, just the sleeping bag, and I survived.I had good clothing, and other survival gear I can list at another time, but folks in cold climates can make it. My ammo was close at hand, as was my rifle and a pistol, for self-defense, incase some wise guy decided to roust the homeless guy some night. I believe they would have had a very bad day. I would not have been able to re-load any ammo in this scenario, so what I had with me was what I had.

Fire. Being able to make some heat is nice when it is cold. Fire sticks can be had at Wal-Mart, etc. for $5. Everyone should have some. Also, how many times do we scoff at those handy $5 bundles of firewood sitting outside grocery stores and convenience stores, so why not buy 1-2 of them and throw them in the trucnk or the box of the truck? Consider how nice it would be to be warm if the SHTF, you had to bug-out, and this was in your trunk? This may be a stretch, but gun powder makes a nice, hot flame for a few seconds if lit, so is it a fire starter in times of need? So, that can of gunpowder you have for re-loading has a double use now. It would onlytake a very small amount, but it might flash enough to start a fire stick, thus creating a chain reaction to getting that firewood burning. Just saying.. (we’re talking re-loading, right?…) But ultimately the idea is to survive. All roads lead to survival.

I think the idea (for me) is to be aware of re-loading, and if possible buy some of the things needed to do re-loading if need be. For now, if I can stock up, I had better get to it. A 17-trillion dollar national debt is not sustainable. Actual is supposed to be more like 80-trillion… When TEOTWAWKI comes, we must survive, even if the Government does not.

Just a few thoughts for folks to chew on…

Jam Handy